


For Old Times' Sake

by HyperSonicX, LPSvsS



Series: For Old Times' Sake [1]
Category: Splatoon
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-22 12:36:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22716172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HyperSonicX/pseuds/HyperSonicX, https://archiveofourown.org/users/LPSvsS/pseuds/LPSvsS
Summary: 20 years after the events of the Final Fest, Pearl and Marina reunite with Agent 8 for the first time in a decade, who has had her fair share of trouble over the years...Headcanons involved:- Inkopolis = Tokyo and there are more cities on the Asian mainland- Pearl took over her father's business, and both her and Marina stopped their showbizz careers for it.- My Agents are called Amy (8), Zoe (4) and Liz (3), but they're only named in dialogue, otherwise they are referred to by their number.
Relationships: Marina & Pearl (Splatoon)
Series: For Old Times' Sake [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1678723
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	1. You Have My Word

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a decade-long absence, Pearl and Marina reunite with Agent 8. And she has had it rough, to say the least...

A warm spring day, just after midday in Inkopolis. Twenty years of changing trends had left Inkopolis Square no longer the center of Turf War culture, and instead the Square was now a dignified, quiet neighborhood, with several design shops and sweet cafes. Marina was seated at one of them, by herself, expecting more arrivals. Age had been quite kind to her, even if her days as Inkopolis's heartthrob were long past her, and she'd...filled out a little.   
A short inkling came walking quickly on to the Square, and took her seat next to Marina. "Sorry I'm late," Pearl sighed as she took off her business jacket, hung it on her chair and sat down, "meeting dragged out." Pearl was still the diminutive, skinny inkling she'd been since her rise to prominence as a rapper and aside from an ever-deepening furrow on her forehead she hadn't aged a day. She blamed that furrow on the stress of managing her late father's business empire.   
"That's alright, she's not here yet," Marina replied. "I hope she's fine, I've been worried sick," she said in the motherly tone she tended to have when reminiscing.  
"She's got some explaining to do," Pearl replied much more strictly.

"How was work today?" Marina asked, sipping her herbal tea. "I hope you can make it home for dinner for a change."  
"Yeah no worries, I took the rest of the day off," Pearl assured her as she ordered a cappuccino. "Even if this goes south, I'm all for spending the rest of the day with ya," Pearl teased with a peck on Marina's nose.  
Marina blushed and giggled quietly. "You didn't have to, Pearlie. As long as you won't forget our anniversary."  
"You won't let me," Pearl clarified, "but I wouldn't forget it anyway." She sighed and looked up at Deca Tower. "Cod, has it really been 20 years since we got married? Doesn't feel nearly that long."  
"Best thing I've ever done," Marina smiled as Pearl turned back.  
Pearl could only blush. "I really wish we could go back to being pop stars sometimes. I miss the rush of being on stage."  
Marina nodded. "Felt like we were on top of the world back then, huh?" She eyed Pearl's business uniform. "I've been happy being a stay-at-home girl while you're out running your business, but...maybe someday we'll do a celebration tour or something."  
Pearl smiled. "I'd love that. Can you still hit all the notes?", she teased.  
Marina smirked, and hits her singing solo opener from Nasty Majesty, every note as on point as back then. "I think I'll be fine."   
Pearl smiled widely and kissed Marina, then sat back as her cappuccino arrived. She also ordered a sandwich, as she hadn't had time to eat yet.

\----------

Sometime later the person they'd been waiting for arrived. Agent 8 sheepishly looked around the corner of the Square, spotted the pair and moved to join them. Pearl pointed her out to Marina when she spotted Eight and Marina gasped. Agent 8 looked gaunt and ghostly pale, with a number of scars on her limbs and her tentacles dishevelled and of uneven length. Her leather garments had been patched several times and the heels on one of her boots had snapped, the other sawed off to match it.  
She approached and stopped a meter or two away from Pearl and Marina.  
"H-hey, guys," Eight started hesitantly, "h-how you been?"  
"Amy, you poor thing," Marina said in the most concerned voice she'd heard herself in, "quick, sit down with us."  
Eight quickly did as instructed. "So…how's business?", she asked hesitantly.  
"Amy, it's been over a decade. You don't just show up and say 'hey, whaddup?'. I'm glad to see you again...y'know, finally, but what in the blue ocean happened to you? And why'd you suddenly come back?", Pearl asked. She figured Marina wouldn't have it in her to ask hard questions right now.  
When Eight didn't immediately reply Marina intervened. "Maybe you want to eat or drink something first? You look like you haven't eaten in days." Eight nodded as she was handed a menu.

She leafed through it for a bit, but didn't get around to ordering as tears started welling in her eyes, and before long she put the menu down to wipe them off as best she could, sniffling to try and keep in her despair. Finally she fully broke down and cried in her hands, saying: "I'm sorry," which she repeated like a mantra. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"  
Pearl ordered Eight some tea in her stead while Marina shifted her chair closer to Eight and embraced her. The three of them sat like that in silence for a few minutes while Eight got her sorrow out of her system.   
Eventually she calmed herself to the point where she was no longer sobbing like mad and she could hug Marina back. 

“A-alright...I...I think I’m good,” she said, letting Marina go with a final sniffle. “It’s just...seeing you guys again…,” She chuckles weakly.  
Pearl pushes the tea towards Eight. “Aight, let’s hear it.” She gets a scolding look from Marina for being so direct.   
“Well...so after I left for the mainland and I’d done my best to get over...you know,” she implied, and Pearl and Marina both nodded that they understood her, “I just meandered along for a time...most of it actually...living off the streets...and feeling sorry for myself…” she took a sip of her tea with her expression showing she was drinking the memories down too, “and then before I knew it, it had been 10 years since…” Nods from Pearl and Marina again. “A-aand...a lot of things suddenly clicked when I realized that...and then all I wanted to do was to come back and...see you guys again,” she cast her eyes down, “and it took me a...a while to save up enough to get back here...and well...here...here I am,” she ended with a sheepish sad smile.

Pearl and Marina eyed each other, and Pearl then leaned forward and said: “That year was hard on all of us, y’know. Losing both the Cap’n and Li-” she held herself, feeling the name might be too much for Eight’s fragile spirits, “Agent 3, that was tough for us all, not just you. So I don’t understand why you felt you had to leave. We were worried sick over you for months, we spent so much time trying to find you…”  
“I KNOW!” Eight shouted, tears in her eyes again, “That’s what I’m trying to say!” She settled down a bit and sniffled, then continued: “I was dumb and overreactive and stupid and selfish to leave, and I’m sorry. I want to make things right. I know now that Craig and Liz wouldn’t have wanted me to wallow in self-pity, I can see that. So...yeah,” she drank from her tea again. “I burned a lot of bridges 10 years ago, I know that. I want to try and rebuild them.”  
Marina nodded and smiled warmly. “Well, I just wish you’d have realized it sooner. We’ve got your back.”  
Pearl nodded in approval. “Come stay with us.”

Eight was surprised by the kindness Pearl and Marina were showing. “W-wait, you’re not upset with me?”  
Pearl replied: “Not really. I know why you did it, I felt the same things you did. It’s just, like Marina said, you should’ve come back sooner.”  
Marina embraced her again. “We’re still here for you, things haven’t changed there.”  
Eight felt tears welling up again, of joy this time, but suppressed them. “A-and the others?”  
Pearl shook her head. “Zoe wasn’t as forgiving as us, she really won’t appreciate you coming back. She’s been doing the Agent business alone all this time.”  
Marina let go of the hug and spoke up too. “And Callie and Marie felt you were...betraying Craig’s memory by just leaving like this...I called and asked them to join us and they said they didn’t feel like coming to see you.”  
Eight nodded. “Right. Well, I guess...I’ll just have to make it up to them. Whatever way I can.”  
Pearl smiled. “Won’t be easy. But we’ll be with you as long as you need.” Marina nodded in approval.   
Eight cried again, but they were tears of joy this time around.

\------------

Later that night, a lone boat approached the ruins of the NILS statue out in Inkopolis Bay. The statue’s ruins had been reduced to rubble further, and not just by erosion, as Agent 8 knew. Tartar had come back after rebuilding his resources for a decade and the only surefire way to stop him, as was found out by Agent 3 as she was covertly exploring the place, was to destroy the statue further and allow the sea to flood the whole Kamabo complex. But Agent 3 had been captured and with no way to rescue her, the Splatoon was forced to...well, you get the picture. Cuttlefish had died of natural causes just a week later.   
Eight disembarked as Grizz’s voice sounded through the speakers: “I’m not into this whole sentiment thing and I got some folks waiting on a shift, so get on with it, missy.”  
“At least you haven’t changed any,” Eight mumbled. 

She scrambled over some of the concrete debris and found a small depression that had once been the statue’s eye. She sat down and spoke quietly: “Liz, Cap’n...I’ve let you down. The past decade, I’ve done no good for anyone or anything, I didn’t know what to do without you two, and I’ve only felt useless and sorry for myself. And I know now you wouldn’t want that for me. You’d want me to carry on in your name. I’ve left Zoe to this job alone for too long. I...I will make you both proud of me again. Everything I will do this next decade, I will do to honor you both. You have my word,” she said determined, wiping a tear from her face.

She got up and walked back to the boat, leaving behind two flowers and a 20-year-old framed picture, showing five cephalings celebrating a victory over the ruins of a wrecked statue.


	2. Calm Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Agent 8 tries to adapt to Pearl and Marina's modern lifestyle. And Marina tries to understand what she's been through...

"GYAAAAAH!"

Hyperventilating. Sweat pouring. Eyes darting around the room for imaginary threats that just a second ago had seemed so real. That was until Eight realized she was safe, in a spacious room, in the best bed she'd slept in since she left. When she realized it she fell back onto her pillow and her breathing slowed. "Calm down, Amy. It's fine. It's all gonna be fine." Though she realized she'd have plenty more of these not-so-fine awakenings coming her way.  
Marina burst into the room, saying: “Amy, are you ok? I heard you yell and-” she shushed when she saw her lying in bed just fine.  
“Yeah...,” Agent 8 replied, throwing off her covers and stepping out of bed. At least I didn’t wake them up, she thought, seeing Marina’s sweater and yoga trousers that certainly didn’t qualify as pyjamas.  
“Told ya it was a bad dream,” Pearl said, appearing in the doorway in a white shirt and dark purple business trousers, chewing on a donut. “No need to get your tentacles in a twist.”

“Yeah, it’s...I’m fine. I have these more often. Unfortunately.” Eight went to get dressed and was then stopped by Marina.  
“Nonononono, I won’t have you wearing those rags again. We’re getting you fresh new clothes today. Get you started on that new 'you' you were talking about last night.”  
“You can wear some of my old stuff in the meantime. I have a ton of casual clothes I barely wear anymore,” Pearl offered. “It’s only for a few hours.”  
“Come on down and have breakfast, I’ll find you something to wear,” Marina assured Agent 8 with a calming embrace, guiding her towards the door.  
“Ok...Say, if you don’t mind...I-I’d like to have a shower again,” Eight offered, remembering how much joy and peace a warm shower had brought her the evening before.  
“Oh, of course! Knock yourself out,” Marina said happily. “I’ll have fresh clothes ready for you by then.”  
“In that case, I’m gonna have to get going before you’ll be done,” Pearl said, checking her watch. “I’ll be sure to be home for dinner tonight. Stay fresh, Amy.” Pearl pulled her in for another warm hug. Where Marina had mellowed out even more, Pearl had grown stronger and fiercer in her years as CEO, and her powerful hug completely melted away any lingering fears Eight had left from her dream.  
“Thank you, Pearl.”

\-------------

After another refreshing shower (a luxury Eight couldn’t have afforded a week ago), she picked through some of the outfits Marina had left for her. Marina had left a few of her own clothes too, but they all proved far too big for Eight, so Pearl’s seemed more her fit, in spite of the height difference.  
Truth was Agent 8 had left with a small briefcase of clothes, but her leather Agent outfit was the only one that had lasted the full decade. Former Agent, she reminded herself to her shame.  
Finally she settled on Pearl’s old hoodie from times past and a pair of joggings. Fresh clothes did a lot to change her demeanour. She felt a lot more comfortable, confident even, like her whole world wasn’t going to fall apart any second. 

Pearl’s parents had both passed away too in the time Eight had been away, which she had been shocked to learn over dinner. Since then Pearl and Marina had moved out of the ridiculously huge mansion they’d called home for so long. They now lived smaller, in a penthouse near Pearl’s workplace, allowing her to go there on foot every morning and avoid any traffic.  
Smaller is relative, of course. The apartment was still very spacious, every inch decorated wonderfully and very tidy. Eight took it in again when she walked through its halls, now in the morning light. The walls a light purple, manga-style drawings and paintings all over (Marina’s work, she assumed), and little trinkets that looked pretty expensive in display cases (which she knew was Pearl’s doing). She smiled sadly at a small piece of custom jewellery, displaying Off the Hook’s former logos. It HAD been a while since they performed. 

Marina was seated at the breakfast table, sipping some tea and looking through the large windows at the skyline of Inkopolis. “Ah, there you are,” she says, “and you already look like a completely different person.”  
“I feel that way too,” Eight said, big smile on her face, that grew even bigger when she saw the food on the table. “Can I...?”  
“Duh, why else would I put it there?” Marina giggled.  
Eight sat down and tucked in. Donuts and sandwiches aplenty waited for her to get around to them, and Marina had to caution her not to stress her system too hard, after having had poor nourishment for so long. 

Once Eight was stuffed to the gills, Marina cleared the table and sat down with Eight while the latter took in the skyline. “I thought it would have changed more,” she contemplated.  
“The real skyscraper construction is on the other side of the building. City centre takes too many permits to build anything massive like that,” Marina says. “That’s what Pearl tells me.” She then turns to Agent 8. “Last night we mostly talked about us, at dinner. You didn’t say much about what’s happened to you.”  
“I…” Eight pulls up her knees. “I-I didn’t really want to talk about it. Bring down the mood...you know?” she says, not very convincingly.  
“Amy, Pearl and I both know you’ve been through some awful stuff. It’s basically impossible to miss. And we all know that ‘bringing down the mood’ wasn’t why you didn’t talk about it.”

Agent 8 wanted to sink further into her seat but she couldn’t.  
"I understand it's hard to talk about. But Pearl and I both think you should speak up about it. You don't have to carry all that baggage yourself, we're here to help you," she said, laying her arm around Eight's shoulders. "You'll feel better if you talk about your problems, trust me."  
"H-how would you know that?", Amy asked.  
Marina sighed. "When...Pearl's parents died, she...kept up her usual bravado, you know," Marina put her arms up in a pose, "MC Princess, 'y'all know what time it is', big boss lady, right?"  
Amy smiled at Marina's imitation and nodded.

"But I could tell it wasn't sincere. She felt like she had to do it for me, as if nothing had changed. But obviously this was a massive change for her. So...one day she just...broke down in tears in front of her board of directors. They called me, and I had her stay home a week, and get her feelings out, which she did and she told me everything about how she felt. By the next week she was a lot happier already." Eight nodded throughout, and when Marina was done she stared blankly at the skyline. Marina concluded: "What I'm trying to say is that letting it all out is something that has to be done. Go ahead and vent, let it out, you'll feel better. And I'll be here to listen."

Eight sighed. "You're right, of course. I just...never expected the Metro to not be the worst I'd live through." She thought for a bit and looked sadly at Marina. "Can...can we please not have that discussion...like now? I...I'm not sure I want to…relive all of it. Not yet."  
Marina smiled and hugged her. "That's okay, Amy. Just as long as you know we're here for you, in case you do want to talk about it."  
Eight gratefully hugged her back. "I know. And I...I know I couldn't ask for anyone better."  
They sat like that in silence for a few minutes, before Marina broke the hug and said: "Alright. We should get you some new clothes. As adorable as you look in Pearl's old hoodie."  
Eight consented. 

Marina then thought of another idea. "You know, Arowana Mall isn't far from here so maybe...Pearl can have lunch with us."  
"Do you think she'd have the time for it?", Eight asked.  
"Only one way to find out." Marina tapped Pearl's number on speed dial.  
As soon as the phone was picked up on the other end, a loud background noise assaulted her, followed by Pearl's loud assertion: "Not a great time, Rina. Make it quick." Pearl pulled away from the phone and shouted, "EVERYONE SETTLE DOWN!"  
To Marina it sounded almost as loud as when Pearl was talking normally into the phone. That's my girl, she thought as the background noise diminished. Marina then said: "If you can, we'll be at Arowana Mall, come have lunch with us. Around 1."  
"I'll see you there," Pearl replied before promptly hanging up. 

"Phew. Is she always so...snappy?", Eight asked.  
"Only when I catch her during a meeting. I don't blame her, it can get pretty cutthroat," Marina said. "But she's coming."  
"Are you sure about that? Her schedule must be packed," Eight objected.  
Marina smiled, seemingly very satisfied. "Pearl has never left me hanging. If she says she'll be there, she'll be there. She knows I'd come through for her too."  
Eight giggled. "Still the same old lovebirds, huh?"  
Marina blushed. "Yeah...I guess nothing's changed there. Now come on," she gestured, "we gotta get to Arowana Mall ourselves."


	3. So, You're Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Agent 8's shopping run to Arowana Mall doesn't go quite according to plan...

"No, I told you, I'm busy that day."

Pearl eyed the traffic lights as they turned green, allowing her to cross the road alongside Arowana Mall. She sighed when she heard the answer from the opposite end of her phone call. "I KNOW it's a big meeting but this is too important to me, ok?"  
Her secretary, the person calling her, sounded frustrated.  
"No, that's final. Get Hana to do that meeting, or maybe even Amayo, they can do a fine job."  
Further frustration.  
"Ok, ok, if you're so worried I'll renegotiate later, and chip in the rest out of pocket if we're making a loss because of it."  
The other end of the line went silent, then asked a question.  
"YES, it's that important to me, I thought I made that clear already!" Pearl sighed in frustration. "I'll talk this through when I get back from lunch, ok? But I can't be available on that day, period."  
The secretary replied and closed off.  
"Yep, see you then." And Pearl hung up, just as she entered Arowana Mall.

Turf wars had moved on from Arowana Mall, but it hadn't gotten any less lively. The shopping street was still busy, even on weekdays like this, and it was rare to see anyone here carrying nothing.  
Marina and Eight weren't going to buck that trend. Eight stood there in fresh new clothes and they were holding onto half a dozen bags from as many different stores.  
"Knew I could count on you to get her all prettied up," Pearl said to Marina, eyeing Eight's new outfit.  
"The shoes are a bit tight still, but I have to get used to them," Eight said.  
"I also got her to get a haircut," Marina said, gesturing at Eight's new ponytail cut. "Glad you could make it, Pearlie."  
"I'm not one for letting you people down," Pearl said with a cocky smile, "but I am on the clock, so let's go someplace to eat."  
"Sure thing," Marina replied.

"So, Amy, how's your day been so far?", Pearl asked.  
Eight smiled and blushed. "It...it feels like it's the best day of my life, honestly. Everyone's so nice and...I feel so alive…it's like my first time in Inkopolis all over again."  
"In a way, it is," Marina added, "but as you've seen, some things don't really change."  
"Yeah, and that is reassuring," Eight said.  
"That's the spirit," Pearl said, putting her arm around Eight's shoulders.

The three sat down for lunch at an organic sandwich bar, one of Marina's favorites.  
"So, Pearlie, what was that meeting about that I caught you in?"  
Pearl sighed. "Honestly, thank you for giving me an excuse to shut them up because I wasn't sure anything was gonna get through. Stuff did get done afterwards." She turned to Eight, explaining the situation. "It was a union meeting, and my fellow board members, being the vultures they are, really don't like the unions, and vice versa, so it usually falls to me to reign both sides in and explain why I'd be down with a certain compromise. Didn't get the chance this time, though, so thanks for the call, Rina."  
Marina chuckled. "No problem, Pearlie, always happy to help."  
Pearl simply smiled.

"Seems like you really came into your own," Eight remarked. "Full-on successful businesswoman."  
"Well, I had a lot to help me. My dad...taught me all I needed to know, managing Off the Hook got me experience and Marina gives me all the relief and support I could ask for," Pearl said.  
"Don't sell yourself short, Pearl," Marina objected, "you're still the one facing the 'vultures' every day. And I'm really proud of the woman you've become." She hugged Pearl for emphasis.  
Pearl blushed and looked insecure. An army of company execs couldn't phase her, but Marina could still dumbfound her whenever she cared to. The sight was enough to get Eight to laugh out loud.  
Both Marina and Pearl smiled. "Now there's something we haven't heard in a while," Pearl said jokingly, "you've still got laughter in ya."  
Eight continued laughing, "I'm...I'm sorry, you two were just too funny."  
Marina chuckled. "We can still be goofballs whenever we like."

Then a blast sounded out. Eight froze like a deer in headlights at the sound. Not again, she repeated in her head as memories of mainland violence started flooding her mind. Marina had to stand up and shake her violently to get her to respond, saying, "C'mon, Amy, we have to go," and even then she was being pulled along more than she was effectively walking herself. The crowd panicked and mobs fled in both directions from the jewellery store being robbed. Before they could get get away a minute the evident culprit came running out with a Splattershot held high. Face covered by Skull Bandana and a beanie, the robber observed the situation. As everyone was running off, he forced his way through the crowd in its panic, clutching his sports bag tight. Pearl noticed and moved to stop him, as Marina took care of Eight, who was still breathing shallowly, not walking on her own accord, her mind still repeating: not again. Marina was forced to hug her tight to get her to move.  
Before Pearl could reach the robber, however, the robber was tackled from above by a caped figure, the crowd around him scattered, and his Splattershot clattered to the floor out of his reach. "You must be new here," spoke Agent 4 in a cynical tone, "thinking you could get away with a stunt like that."

The robber cursed as Four cuffed him and dragged him away roughly, and the jeweller was left to retrieve the sports bag with his wares.  
Meanwhile, Marina was consoling Eight in the doorway of a store down the mall. Eight’s breathing finally slowed as the crowd’s commotion did, and some tears broke through the shock in her mind.  
“C’mon, Amy, it’s over, it’s alright, you’re safe,” Marina comforted her.  
Eight’s breathing slowed and she just hugged Marina in response, as she calmed herself down.  
That was when she noticed Agent 4, as Four transferred her captive to the policemen who’d just arrived on the scene. In her fading panic, she recognized her old friend, despite the cape still retaining her flourescent coat and heavy black boots, both worn from use. She saw both Agent 4 and the officers leaving the mall, and tried to break Marina’s grasp to follow Agent 4.

“What are you doing?”, Marina asked.  
“Agent 4…” she said, shaking her head to clear her thoughts. “I need to...I need to talk to her…” She then walked away from Marina, her mind finding comfort from the shock in the focus on meeting up with Agent 4, apologizing to her, begging her forgiveness, whatever she’d need to do.  
Pearl stopped her too, after having gotten lost in the crowd for a few minutes. “Where are you going, Amy?”  
“I need to talk to Agent 4,” Amy said, now much more determined. “I need to talk to Zoe,” she repeated, and Pearl nodded that she understood and let her go.  
Marina joined Pearl shortly after and asked: “Why’d you let her go? She’s not thinking straight, she...”  
Pearl stopped her. “Right now, her mind’s on one track. And confronting Zoe is something she’d have to do eventually. Let’s follow her and let this play out.”

By the time she reached the door of the mall, Eight was running trying to catch up to Agent 4. Her mind had settled but she was determined, now that she had the chance. Agent 4 was already walking away down the sidewalk. “Zoe!”, Eight shouted at her.  
This made Agent 4 turn. She didn’t immediately see who’d called out her name and looked up and down the sidewalk until she locked eyes with Eight. Eight immediately broke eye contact, but when she looked at Four again, she’d superjumped away, and Eight saw her land in an alleyway off the side. She considered backing off, that Agent 4 may not want to talk to her. Maybe she’d hurt Four more than could ever be fixed…  
I should at least know for sure, she reasoned, and crossed the street to follow Four into the alleyway.  
Agent 4 stood there waiting for her, back turned. Suddenly Eight’s apprehension returned. "So...uh…," every word she had ever thought she would say to Four failed her, now that she was standing right there in front of her.

"So you're back," Four said. The calm sound of her words terrified Eight more than any shouting match could have. "After 10. Whole. Years. You're back." Agent 4 turned. Her face was stern, focused, worn, very little seemed left of the bright, joyful inkling from before Agent 3's death. The ever smiling face bore a fierce scowl. "I hope you realize what you did. I've been working my ass off trying to do the work of three agents on my own." She started slowly walking up to Agent 8. "And I managed. I forced you and Liz both out of my head and went and did my job. Every morning. For ten. Freaking. Years." Eight started backing away. Every word Four said made her feel worse and worse. "Sometimes I couldn't sleep. The memories would just be too painful and I'd lay awake, wondering what I'd do to you if you ever came back." Eight braced at those words, hoping Agent 4 didn't mean to pick a fight. Eight wasn't at peak strength at all after 10 years of malnourishment. "I should be mad at you. I should be FUMING with rage at what you did." Agent 4 stopped two feet short of Agent 8. She sighed and dropped her gun. 

"But, damnit, I'm just too happy to see you." 

The next thing Eight knew, Four pulled her in for the biggest hug she'd ever had, and Four sighed in relief: "Don't you ever, ever, ever leave me like that again."


	4. Don't Waste It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Agent 8 gets re-acquainted with Agent 4, and a few other people...

Sometime later, the two agents and Marina (Pearl had to get back to work; she said she’d grab a donut or something along the way) were sitting at another cafe, finishing their lunch. Four had taken her fluorescent coat off and wrapped it in her cape so she wouldn’t stand out in public.  
“And yeah, once I knew he was targeting Arowana Mall, it wasn’t hard guessing what shop it was going to be. And well, you know the rest,” Agent 4 finished. She’d just explained how she was in Arowana Mall so soon after the robbery. “Guy gets slowed by the crowd, one solid jump and he’s history.”  
“Excellent work, I’d say,” Marina said, in admiration of Four’s detective work.  
“You’ve gotten good,” Eight remarked.  
“Kinda...had to,” Four replied. She wanted to say more but forced it down. At this point any outburst at Eight wouldn’t make anything better.

“So...have you thought about what you’re going to do now that you’re back?”, Four asked. Though Eight looked better and refreshed, she still looked emaciated and pale and Four could tell the past wasn’t something that should be brought up yet. So instead she focused on the future.  
Eight looked down dejectedly. “No...I can’t say I have. For the last two months I was just...trying to get back here.” She looked at Marina. “I really don’t want to freeload, Marina, I can find myself a job, I’m sure.”  
Marina smiled. “You’re not freeloading, Amy. You don’t have to worry about that.”  
“Yeah but I’d still feel that way. I mean…” Eight looked at Four, “I don’t think you’d want me as an Agent again, so…I’ll see what I can apply for.”  
“Wait, hold up,” Four said, “Why would you think that?” 

“Just now,” Eight said, gesturing in the general direction of Arowana Mall. “I just...froze up during the robbery. I...don’t know if I’m cut out for it anymore.”  
“Would you have frozen up if you knew it was coming?”, Four asked. “Because I did.”  
“...Maybe not. I can’t say,” Eight said. “But why would you WANT me as an Agent again? After…well...”  
“Personally?” Four said. “I’m sick of it. I’m sick of having to do it all by myself.” She pondered a while. “I blamed you for the longest time. But now that you’re back...it’s hard to. Because I know why you did it, even if I can’t understand how you could.” Four sighed. “And honestly, I just don’t want to deal with another feud, so it’s easier to forgive.”  
“Another? What do you mean?”, Marina asked.  
Four looked down in sorrow, shook her head, then spoke up: “36 years together, but still my parents are divorcing.” She did her best to keep composed. “I don’t know what the point still is, at this stage, but they’ve grown to dislike each other now, and I’m doing my best to stay out of it.”  
Eight gasped. At a loss for words, all she could think to say was: “Oh, I’m...I’m so sorry for you.” Marina nodded in consent and patted Four on the shoulder.  
“Don’t be, it’s not your fault,” Four replied. “But yeah, I....I just want someone to share the burden of being an Agent. As selfish as that may be. Callie and Marie are still too...occupied, to be a consistent help. Even if you don’t fight, you’d be really invaluable,” she said to Eight, smiling.  
Eight looked surprised. “...For real? You’d just...have me back?”  
Four nodded. “Yeah, I would. If you’re willing.”

Eight leaned back in her seat and forced her eyes shut, trying not to cry again. Even after all this time, Agent 4 was so accepting and nice. She forced it back down, leaned forward again. “...Thank...Thank you so much, Zoe...it’s so much more...than I could…” She gets out of her chair and rushes to hug Agent 4. “Thank you so much. I won’t let you down. I won’t,” she says with tears in her eyes.  
Four hugs her right back. “That’s fine. I believe you.” The two break the hug. She then looks more apprehensive. “Question is whether the Squid Sisters will.”  
Eight’s expression soured. “Oh. Right.”  
Marina spoke up. “I can vouch for you, if need be.”  
Four countered: “So can I, but they still have to believe it. Marie especially...she took your departure very hard.”  
Eight nodded. “Well, even if they won’t have me on board, I can try to help you. And I have to make up to them. This seems like the best way to do it.” She swallowed. “When can I…,” she steadied herself, “when can I see them?”

\------------

Two days later, Agent 4 was due to report on her foiling of the robbery, and so was due to meet with the Squid Sisters. Four and Eight arrived at Cuttlefish Cabin bright and early, with Eight being understandably nervous. “H-how do you think this will go?”  
Four shrugged and said: “Only one way to find out.”  
Cuttlefish Cabin had been renovated to at least be a decent place to stay, instead of the rickety old shack it once was. Even with only three people using it, instead of six as there once were, it still seemed quite cosy from outside. Eight couldn’t help but think back to the jovial old man she’d escaped the Metro with, and how he’d always done his best to care for her, in spite of his dislike of Octarians. She shook her head to clear the thoughts; she needed her wits about her for now.

“Just take it easy, you’ll be good,” Four assured her one last time before she rang the bell. It didn’t help as well as Four had hoped.  
After a few seconds the door opened to reveal Callie. Twenty years of being a star blockbuster actress had helped her stay in shape, but she didn’t look as stunning as she once did. Eight was surprised to see she’d aged quite significantly over the last decade. “Alright, Zoe, come on-”, and then she saw Eight.  
Eight had been told Marie would be angry, but Callie wasn’t as hard to nail down. Also angry? Surprised? Excited? What Eight hadn’t expected was for Callie to start crying loudly and pull her into a hug.  
“Eight...it’s been so long…” she said, in between loud sobs, “You came back...you finally came back…”  
Callie’s reaction took Eight and Four both by surprise, but Eight was relieved she reacted that way. She hugged her back.  
Callie’s sobbing stopped shortly and she pulled away. “Man, I’ve missed you so much,” she said, drying off her face with her sleeve, “You look...a bit worse for wear, but you’re ok! I was so worried about you.”  
“Thank you, Callie,” Eight said, “that means a lot, considering…”  
“I didn’t believe Pearl and Marina when they said you were back so I didn’t…” Callie started rambling.  
Four intervened. “Chill out, Cal, let’s take this inside.”  
“No need,” all three heard Marie say. She was standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame, a very unpleasant look on her face. She’d kept herself fit too, but she’d aged a great deal in her face, and it made her expression borderline frightening.

“Marie...I…” Eight started.  
“Stop right there,” Marie said firmly. She walked up to Eight, gesturing for her to shut it.”You’re back, I get it. Do you want a medal?” Eight recoiled at her words. “Why’d it take you so long to get back? You weren’t the only one suffering, you know. We’ve always tried to help you, given you all the opportunities you needed, and then you leave us in our time of need.”  
“Marie, stop! You know why she ran. It wasn’t because she wanted to hurt us,” Callie said, springing to Eight’s defense.  
“But she did!”, Marie snapped back, “And she knew it would. But now she’s back, and everyone pretends like nothing happened. I’m not going to pretend.” Marie turns to Four. “You brought her here, I assume because you want her back as a sidekick?” Four had long since frozen at Marie’s fury, but she nodded. “Well then, she’s your responsibility. If she runs again, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“Marie, please!”, Eight shouted desperately.  
“What? By all means, what do you have to say for yourself?”, Marie said, leaving her room to speak.  
Eight took a few breaths to compose herself. “I don’t expect you to forgive me. I know that...what I did isn’t something I could fix. And I never expected any of you to even give me the time of day.” She looked Marie dead in the eyes. “But at least let me try to help, to make it up, somehow. I probably can’t. But I want to try,” she finished, “because…”  
“Because what?”, Marie demanded.  
“Because I promised them. Liz and the Cap’n.” Eight also looked stern at this point. “I should’ve done it sooner, I know. But I can still do it now. And I will.”  
Marie considered for a while. She then nodded, slowly and deliberately. “Ok then. I’m giving you a chance. Don’t waste it. You won’t get another from me.” She then turned back, walked back into the house and said, “C’mon, Zoe, I thought you had a report for us.”

\------------

“Well...that didn’t go too well, did it?”, Marina said later that night, when Eight got back to their apartment. She’d been listening to Eight recounting the events of that reunion while cooking dinner for themselves and Pearl.  
“Honestly...it’s about how well I expected all these reunions to go. Even yours. One of them was bound to go sour like that,” Eight explained.  
“Well, you have a chance. I trust you won’t be wasting it.”  
“Absolutely not,” Eight said proudly, “Zoe asked for help scouting tomorrow morning. I’ll be there.” Then she heard the front door of the apartment slam shut.

“Marina, I’m home!” Pearl said joyfully, and when Marina exited the kitchen to greet her beloved, she was surprised to see Pearl plop a package on the table. “Open it up.”  
Marina rolled her eyes and took the package to open it. “Pearl, I’ve told you, stop buying me all these-” she froze when she saw what it actually was. Her old performance outfit, remade in her new size, looking exactly as it did back in the day.  
“You said you wanted to perform again, right? We’ve got a month to build up a routine. I booked Starfish Mainstage for our anniversary,” Pearl explained.  
“You WHAT?”


	5. Into the Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A month later, Pearl and Marina celebrate their anniversary, while there's one more surprise in store for Agent 8...

“They still got it.”

A month later, Agents 4 and 8 stood near a bar at the back of the festival grounds. Pearl and Marina’s celebration gig was a moderate success. Four and Eight had the privilege of prebooked tickets from the duo, but they wouldn’t have needed them, as the grounds and beach around Starfish Mainstage were pretty calm. Given all that happened while they were the big pop stars, Off the Hook, like the Squid Sisters, never fully fell from public conscious, but they didn’t have the insane following they used to. Still, the crowd was quite sizeable, very enthusiastic and Pearl and Marina were giving it their all and having a blast doing it.  
“I forgot how much I missed them performing,” Eight replied.  
“I’m surprised they can still rock the stage for an hour and a half, non-stop,” Four remarked, and it was true, though now that they were hitting that mark it was clear Pearl and Marina were getting tired, especially Marina. 

“Say, Amy, I just wanna say…I’m so happy to have you back. It feels so good knowing I have assured back-up now, with those two-” she points at Callie and Marie in the cheering crowd, “-still having their careers to worry about.”  
“...Thank you,” Eight said. Didn’t know what else to say really.  
“No, thank YOU,” Four insisted. “I know it couldn’t have been easy to choose to return. Even with all the stuff you went through. You were terrified of what we’d all say and do. I get that fear, I do.”  
Eight knew nothing to say so she just sat there blushing.  
“All I’m saying is, thanks for the stress-relief,” Four concluded.  
“Happy to be of use,” Eight replied, blushing and smiling. 

“Now we’re getting somewhere. That’s the Amy I knew,” Four remarks on seeing her smiling face.  
“Yeah, it’s...it’s just been such a wonderful month. I didn’t expect it to turn around like this,” Eight replied. “I don’t think I could wish for anything better.”  
Agent 4 smiled at that at first, before remembering something. “That reminds me. I’ve been meaning to give you this.” She opens the backpack she’d brought with her and retrieved a small paper bag. “Your old Agent uniform has seen far better days, and leather’s long past fresh these days. Figured you’d need a new uniform, now that you’re an Agent again.”  
Agent 8 took the bag hesitantly and peered inside. Her eyes opened wide and she looked back at Agent 4.  
“No, it’s not her actual outfit. We made a new one based on pictures,” Four reassured her. 

“No, I mean…” she looked back at the black coat and fluorescent vest inside the bag, exactly matching Agent 3’s old outfit. Tears welled up with happy memories. “Are...are you sure? I’m...not sure I deserve it, after what I did. If anyone it should be you, you picked up my slack. I-I can’t accept it.”  
“Nonsense. You told me, you were terrified of what we’d all think of you, terrified enough that it kept you from coming back for ten years. But here you are anyway,” Agent 4 assured her, wrapping an arm around Eight. “You came back and owned up to your mistakes, ready to try and fix them. That takes courage, and a lot of it. Me and Callie felt like you’d earned it, and Marie consented after...a LOT of discussion. Pretty sure Liz would agree,” Four said with a smile.  
Eight couldn’t hold back her tears anymore after that and hugged Agent 4, crying on her shoulder. “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” she repeated like a mantra. Four was happy to hug her back and let her finish.

Applause erupted around them as Off the Hook finished Ebb & Flow with a bang. “WOOO!” Pearl shouted as the two wound down from their performance, “Thank you all!”  
Marina laughed as she breathed heavily, her body not used to such long concerts anymore. One month of preparation wasn’t fully enough to regain the level of stamina she used to have. Once the applause died down, she addressed the crowd. “This has been such a wonderful evening, everyone. Thanks so much for coming. And can you please also give another round to Pearl, for setting this up?” She turned to Pearl. “This is the best anniversary we’ve ever had, thank you so much, Pearlie,” and before the applause even fully roared to life, she pulled her precious Pearlie into a massive hug and give her a full kiss on the lips, which the crowd delightfully cheered on.

“You ok, Rina?”, Pearl asked once she had regained her composure, having been concerned over Marina’s stamina throughout the show. “You got one more in ya?”  
Marina nodded. “If we take it slow, I’m sure I’ll manage.”  
“Well, whaddaya know? Our last one is a slow burner.” The crowd cheered, knowing which song that meant. “We’d also like to dedicate this one to a friend of ours.”  
“She’s been through some rough times the last few years,” Marina continued, “but she’s in a much better state now and we want to let her know her friends will always be there for her.” Once again a cheer from the crowd, and from Four as well, as Eight was overcome with emotion and cried further tears of joy over their wonderful performance of Into the Light. 

"There's a brand new world, calling for you.  
"When you wake, what will you say?  
"Please believe it's true, everything you do,  
"Keeps on shining through.  
"Let's shoot for the skies!"


End file.
